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Instability
Summary The year is 2019, the remnants of the LANCER Project still remain. Only a handful of survivors continue to serve. Currently, Silver has Dare and Wildcard surviving, who have not seen each other for years. Wildcard, living in Maui with a wife an infant child, is attempting to spend some time from his family. Little does he know that another simple mission is about to be revealed and put himself and his family on the brink of death. Story will be released when Abducted is finished. A little note, Wildcard has only 1 kid at this time. The second one is not born yet, unlike what I said in NATO's Downfall. 'Prologue' Afghanistan 2019 "Silver Four to Platinum Eagle. Target down." Wildcard stood over the body of the terrorist captain, leaning down to remove his signature kukri. Over time it had gotten dull. He should probably sharpen it when he returned to base. "Platinum Eagle to Silver Four. Return to Firebase Phoenix. I got something to tell you." Wildcard walked out of the building, lighting his flare to signal the Huey to land. He drifted in thought the whole ride there. He missed his fallen teammates, even Dare, whom he squabbled a lot with. He missed Gabrielle, his childhood friend, now his wife. He had only a brief time to see the birth of his first child before he left again to Afghanistan. She had named him already, but he was going to find out once he came home. All the more to survive in this hellhole. The Huey touched down on near the base. Major General Issac Randolph stood at the pad as he jumped off strolling towards him and slinging his AUG on his back. Snapping a crisp salute, Wildcard refused to flinch or even glance around at the Marines and Rangers staring at him in awe. Even though the LANCERs have gone public for more than 3 years, it was still a sight to behold when one was present. "I got good news Lieutenant. You're going home." Wildcard's eyes widened, lowering his hands. "I'm going home." He said it like he thought it was true. "Yep." Randolph interjected, "I can't believe it either. You got a plane waiting to leave in twenty, so I'll dismiss you. See you soon Silver Four." "Thank you sir." Wildcard stuttered, turning to his cot, he had a lot to pack. Half an hour later, he walked out with his weapons in one hand and a bulging duffel bag in the other. The C-7 Galaxy was loading a tank onboard when he climbed on. Settling himself in a seat, he rested his AUG on his lap and put the bag on the floor. Now if he could catch a few minutes of sleep... Someone shook Wildcard and he snapped awake. Another soldier had aroused him. Wildcard looked at the clock, he had slept for nearly five hours. The plane was descending and he sat up, looking out the window at the rapidly approaching waves. As the time zones accelerated forward, it was midday when the Galaxy bumped on the runway in Maui. Rolling to a stop rather quickly, it had only limited room on a runway designed for aircraft half its size. Marcus left the airport, with another marine who drove him to his house. Hopping out in the courtyard, one could only gawk at Wildcard's place. What many people never knew about him was that he loved aircraft. The courtyard housed a runway large enough to lift even the Galaxy, but small enough to fit in his small property. Two hangars lined either side at one end. Both contained aircraft, from an Me 262 to an F-15 that was supposed to be retired. These hangars were protected with the latest cutting edge security. His house was on the east side of the island. So he grabbed his car, a white 2009 model Mustang and drove to his house for 10 minutes. The driveway was empty and the view of the beach was stunning. He smiled to himself, it was great to be back. Chapter 1 Marcus pushed open the door and stepped inside his home. Unlike his hangars and airfield at the Air Force Base, his home was smaller, but still offered the luxuriousness of a mansion. He set his weapon and bag on a nearby sofa. "Hey there handsome." Marcus turned, looking into a pair of gorgeous brown eyes. Gabrielle Xavier wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips found his and they shared a gentle kiss. She pulled away and hung her head on his armored chest. Marcus enjoyed every moment, he hadn't even seen her for six months, despite them being married for one and a half years. "Where's my boy? What's his name?" Gabrielle beckoned him over. Marcus stood there, staring at her beautiful sky blue dress. Marcus followed to see a room where his infant son lay. The name "Marcus Xavier Jr." was engraved on the wall along with the birth certificate. Marcus took off his helmet and smiled down at the sleeping baby. "He's...adorable." "Yep." Gabrielle smiled, pulling herself close to him. "Just like his father." Marcus wrapped his arms around her waist. "I need a shower. When you told me earlier you wanted to go to dinner tonight, I can't go looking like this." She planted another soft kiss on his lips and he left to the bedroom. "I love you...Wildcard." The way she said it warmed his heart. His cold self was gone when he entered this household. The Mustang cruised on the highway towards the urban area of Maui. It was sundown when they arrived. Gabrielle looked at her husband who was smiling in the driver's seat. She smiled too, Marcus always found a taste of adventure wherever he went, it didn't matter if if was Afghanistan or even going to get a glass of water. They pulled up to a restaurant that required proper attire to dine. Wildcard had changed from his suit into his military dress jacket with black slacks. She retained her dress. They had finished their soup and began their main course, some of the best seafood in the Pacific. Suddenly Wildcard's cell phone rang. He groaned in frustration. "Living a normal life is harder than I expected." He slid open the panel and pressed talk, holding the device to his ear. "Wildcard speaking." "You got a moment?" Randolph's voice filled the phone. "I was having dinner with my wife, so I'm not that busy." He replied sarcastically. "Glad I intruded then. Priority one from the top." Wildcard looked back at the table, Gabrielle was still eating as if he never left. He rolled his eyes walking out of the restaurant to get some air. "General, you have my undivided attention." "Remember your mission on that captain before you went home?" "Affirmitive." "Well it might be related to another group. There is an island nation that recently declared independence from Chile. It was aided by someone else whom we can't find yet. I'd like you to do some recon there in case we need to bring in a counterinsurgency op." "Can we discuss this over lunch tomorrow?" Randolph sighed, obviously impaitent. "Alright. I'll be at your house at half past noon." He hung up. Chapter 2 Randolph sped into the driveway of the Xavier Estate. Marcus had gotten his parents' savings, which were a lot, when they had died. He loved Hawaii because of the scarce population and the warm climate. The doorbell rang and Marcus answered the door. Randolph was dressed in athletic clothes, a simple workout shirt and shorts. His fierce blue eyes glimmered with happiness as he was reunited with his Silver Four. "General!" Wildcard smiled, wrapping his arms around Randolph crushing him in a death hug. The general was completely taken off guard, Marcus was a totally different person without his armor. "Lieutenant. I wish my visit was under more pleasing circumstances." Marcus nodded, opening the door. Gabrielle stepped into view, observing the general with curious eyes. "I'd like you to meet Gabrielle Xavier, my newly wed wife." Randolph grinned, kissing her on the hand. Marcus saw her face turn red. "So you're the one who took the Lieutenant's heart." All of them laughed as she led them to the kitchen where she served grilled steaks and homemade fries. Randolph bit into the juicy cut, if he were taking a blind taste test, he would have deemed the meal five star worthy. "Alright boys, I have to take care of Marcus. I'll leave you alone." She smiled and left the room. Randolph watched her go, cocking an eyebrow at Wildcard. "Marcus?" He smiled in response, "My six month old son." "Congratulations Lieutenant." His expression changed, "Now on to other matters." He unfolded a map displaying a larger scale of the small island. "Like I told you, this place is ruled by a dictator and has sealed it. Nobody gets in or out." "Pretty much a prison." Marcus murmured. "Why the significance?" "Let's just say this dictator who calls himself the Reaper has gone off the deep end and took over the entire rescource district. Farms, water treatment, the worst is the new nuclear power plant that recently brought them out of their economic instability." "Rules of engagement?" "Use lethal force at your own disposal. I want you off that rock alive." "Don't worry." Marcus grinned as Gabrielle came in with chocolate mousse. "You can't get rid of me that easy." Chapter 3 During rock climbing, I fell and broke my ulna on my right arm. I can still write and play Xbox :D Wildcard drove his mustang to the military airport. He stopped at Burger Town and got a quick bite before he parked in the vehicle storage area. Already a SEAL assault team was underneath a C-130, checking weapons and equipment. "Alright men!" The sergeant boomed in front of the squad. "The lieutenant has command of this entire op. Follow his every order, just like you do with me!" "YES SIR!" Wildcard stepped forward, sliding on his helmet. "Alright boys, here's the situation. This island nation recently gained its independence from Chile. While we watched the country industrialize, the idol that symbolized this place's freedom, has turned it into a prison. His general aide had troops storm everything. We sent diplomat Walter Fresca in hopes of backing down aggression. No reply was heard. The other day, the troops took over the newly built nuclear power plant. This proved to be the last straw. We're assigned to recon enemy capabilities and eliminate the Reaper." "Who's the Reaper?" "The man who led the revolution against Chile. Alright people, we dust off in ten!" The SEALs were dismissed grabbing their weapons. Wildcard put away his AUG. He didn't want anything overpowered. As much as he hated it, he was going to select a sniper rifle and an assault rifle with silencers and other gizmos. He looked at the armory before selecting a Canadian Timberwolf and an ACR. He smiled, Vector would be proud. Chapter 4 Eva Esquival indicated a sweeping motion at the apartment building. Six other men complied, entering with Polish PM-63s. Screams were heard as the residents of the building were dragged out in their nightclothes. The men lined them up and Eva stared every man, woman and child down. Feeding off the fear in their eyes she stopped at the largest man. Drawing her fist back, she slammed it into his stomach. All the abdominal work he had done excercising was shattered at the blow and he fell wheezing. "What have you people been conspiring about?" She hung the words in the air. The people were too afraid to reply. She scanned the population, dismissing all the children and some of the men and women that she and her soldiers deemed loyal. The remainder, about a dozen men and eight women stood with their hands up. "Turn around." Eva snarled. The traitors complied and her men coldly executed them on the spot. "Bring any others out that might be conspirators." Eva ordered. Her men complied, searching like ghosts. "And that's how it ended." Wildcard finished. The SEALs laughed loudly. This guy took off saying he'd never be caught and then fell off the building." "What a dumbass!" One of the men laughed. "There was another one?" "Either that." The sergeant said. "Or you tend to be quite popular with the ladies." "Too popular." Wildcard smiled. "We were on a routine hostage rescue by a terrorist that had ties to Black Fang. Just we didn't know of the conncection yet. Anyway, he had this girl hostage." Wildcard's memory drifted back to the problem. "I said stay back!" The crazed man shouted, pressing a pistol to a twenty-three year old woman's ear. "Alpha!" Vector crept closer to the duo. "I need that bullet now!" "He is ex-USMC!" Alpha shot back. "Just putting that there!" Raising the rifle, he fired, splattering blood over the concrete. The woman stood shocked as Vector placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Wildcard and Dare watched from the BlackHawk as it circled the scene. Police officers rushed to the stakeout area, dismissing civilians and other curious news reporters. "What was it with Alpha back there?" Wildcard asked no one in particular. "Conscience." Dare answered, already hesitating to pick a fight. "You should research it." "It's called hesitation." Wildcard shot back. "Anyone who hesitates in battle wind up dead." "Some things, Wildcard, are more important than survival. Like knowing what side you're really on. Alpha always has our backs and we'll always have his." Alpha was silent as the BlackHawk flew back to base. The woman was with them, shaking in a seat, but Dare comforted her and the shaking died down. "Alpha, we need to talk. Channel 4." Vector looked over at the daydreaming sniper, trying to find his face behind the visor. "About what?" "What happened earlier today." Alpha gulped, he knew this wasn't going to be good. "I don't see anything wrong. You make the calls and I take the shot. Standard protocol since, I don't even remember when." "I just want to know why you hesitated." "You know I don't get attached." Sergio replied, inspecting his rifle. "Next time you hesitate, there might not be a life to save. I was about to call Rampage on him before you took your shot. That woman has good intel on this terrorist cell. She was the armed gunman's ex-girlfriend. He was the dangreous one." "If anyone is dangerous, it's the girl. The one sitting in our helicopter right now. As soon as she's away, she'll be a saboteur and blow the base to oblivion." The BlackHawk landed in the nearby base where Dare escorted the girl out. Alpha and Vector remained next to the aircraft as the pilot dismounted and shut down the engine. "I think you need some rest Silver Three. I'll pass on your concerns, but it's no longer up to us. Get some rest soldier." Alpha sounded disappointed. "Yes sir." He turned and walked towards his room. Vector turned to his room beginning to remove his armor when Lux's voice rang behind him. "Not good." He turned surprised to see her out of her suit already. "You're going to tell me that I'm being too harsh?" "He's a sniper. Colonel. As if you're making it any more harder on him." Vector sighed as he removed his TACPAD. "I need Silver back to full power. Hesitating in a hostage situation isn't complete strength." Suddenly a massive explosion rocked the base hurling Vector and Lux against the all. "What was that?" Lux demanded, snatching her handgun off the table. "Her." Vector replied, knowing Alpha was right about it. He simply failed to comply. "Corporal!" Vector shouted in his COM pressed to his ear. "Any one not checked in yet?" "Affirmitave." The corporal replied. "One LANCER is still in his suit." "Let me guess." "Wildcard, this is Vector. We got a chaotic base and the hostage conflicting." "I'm already on it skipper." Wildcard replied. He didn't have his AUG with him, just his knife and his bare hands. Wildcard's red visor scanned the field. Sure enough, the girl had taken off running towards the end of the base. Immediately, the spotlights shone on her tanktop, giving her away to the LANCER. "Looks like she knows her way around the place." "I don't care if she just wanted some Burger Town. Just stop her." Vector snapped back. "Giving chase." Wildcard sprinted after her. She had already made it almost to the fence, but his armor allowed him to cross the same distance in seconds. "Heh." Wildcard sneered as he sprinted, not even panting. "Looks like she brought some friends to the party. Drinks on me!" The woman had sprinted to the edge of the fence where three masked men stood. One was slicing the fence with a chainsaw. The grate snapped and the woman sprinted right through. The men, took out M16 rifles, opening fire at the charging LANCER. Wildcard flinched as a bullet struck his armor, yet it only slowed him down temporarily. "You'll get Viper support in three. You need an assist?" Vector asked, concerned. "Only four people. I got this." Wildcard shot back in a cocky manner. He sprinted forward slamming a shattering punch to the first terrorist's face. "That's one!" He moved to the second man, sweeping his leg out and bringing his foot on the face. "Two!" Marcus faced the third gunman, "You'll be three!" In a fast motion, he pulled out his second knife, throwing it straight between the eyes. With all the armed terrorists down, the woman remained. He sprinted, following the footsteps. Far away from the lights of the alarmed base and alert Viper helicopter patrols. The woman slipped into the darkness. Assured that she outsmarted the USMC, she took off, not bothering to look where she was going. A mistake that she paid for dearly. Feeling a bump, she fell back, sprawled on the grass. A hulking figure with a reddish visor stood over her. A wave of fear washed over until the man said. "aaaaaand that's four!" "Four of us for a hundred of you. Good trade." The fallen woman laughed. "What did you say?!" Wildcard demanded, holding his kukri knife in a menacing way. "Better answer me or I'm gonna fuck you up! You might see a reflection of a pretty lady in the visor. But, I'm never nice to the monster I'm looking at!" He was about to swing the knife when the sound of a van cut him off. Out of nowhere, the van spotted the two and hurtled full speed. Wildcard had no time to dodge. "Silver Four! Come in!" Vector shouted, panicked over the COM. Static was the only reply. 5 minutes later Vector steered the jeep where flames leapt from a burning patch in the grass field. "There!" Lux shouted. "I see him!" Wildcard lay in a heap, obviously dazed. Hitting the park gear, Lux jumped out with him and rushed to the fallen LANCER. Vector scooped up his Spear helmet. "You know how much this armor is?" Wildcard, being sat up by Lux, coughed out a mouthful of blood. "Not as much as I do." Wildcard snatched the helmet from Vector placing it on his head. "The chick ran off. I was gonna get her and we would have had a good time. If that van didn't show up." Lux shot him a glare and he pulled himself up to his feet. "What about the runaway?" "The Marines will bring them back." Travis answered, starting the jeep. "If they don't" She persisted. "We will." Wildcard came out of his flashback just as the SEAL assault boat stopped underneath a small cave. The cave was where the SEAL team would set up the camp and carry out thier missions. Wildcard had finished with guarding when he took his Timberwolf and threaded a silencer. "I'm going to find out where this Reaper lives." "And?" Sergeant Greg Jerald asked. "So I can give him a wake up call." Wildcard sneered, hoisting himself out of the cave. "I'll be back by dawn." He crept only for five minutes before he spotted the island's only city and airport. Suddenly his head went in pain and without a sound he dropped to the ground rubbing the back of his head. A flashback was surfacing, despite his resistance to stay focused. Marcus looked down. He was 16 and still in the comforts of his own mansion. Looking across the desk he saw his father staring at a paper ratifying his admission to become a basketball player for his high school. Marcus had a former Marine as his coach and performed exceptionally, prompting his coach to suggest enlisting in the Marines. While Wildcard had enjoyed the idea, his father distasted it. "Stay away from my son." He growled at the coach. Now he stood across from Marcus looking very displeased. Not that he gave a shit. "Marcus." His anger trying to keep under control, but the flames were slowly growing. "Please let me." He started. "You do not dare talk back to me!" Marcus didn't hate his father, but when he was brainwashed with his motives, he couldn't care less if he died. "How did you expect to get away with this?" When sixteen year old Wildcard didn't answer, his father's temper flared. "ANSWER ME!" "It means everything to me. I've gotten satisfying grades." Wildcard looked about to cry. "I DON'T CARE IF THE UNIVERSE ENDS TOMORROW! YOU'RE QUITTING BASKETBALL!" His dad's face turned red as he took the form and ripped it apart right in front. "Now. You are going to apply at the academy and you're going to be a scientist." Wildcard couldn't imagine having a controlled life his whole time. Wasn't American people supposed to be free? His father turned from the room and walked out. Marcus and his dad never interacted again. That night, Steven and Loretta Xavier, his parents were killed in a car crash. It was a cover up for their murder by someone that had deep hatred for the Xavier family. Piecing together the clues after Marcus escaped to Gabrielle's house, he managed to track down the killer and brought him to custody. Wildcard finally snapped out of his flashback, a woman about his age stood in front of him. "If it isn't Marcus Xavier." Eva Esquival smirked. Chapter 5 Wildcard snapped up his ACR, only to have it swatted out of his hands. The gun clattered to the rocks and teetered over the side before dropping into the water. "Sorry Wildcard." Esquival smiled dangerously, "We don't play with guns." She quickly punched Marcus in the soft flexible part of the suit. He grunted, but easily shook off the blow. Without a word he lunged for her. She tried to reach for her PM63 in her holster, but his tackle caught her off guard. She wrestled for grip on her gun, Wildcard never gave her the chance, instantly behind her, wrenching her arm upwards. She let out a scream of pain as he twisted her elbow the opposite way. Her foot came free and she kicked him in the stomach. Normally the LANCER's armor would have taken the attack. Her heel caved in his armor and knocked the wind out of him. He dropped her, gasping for a breath. She took out her gun, aiming at him. "I thought you said we don't play with guns." He snarled getting up. "It's my gun." Esquival shot back before she lunged for him. This time, she tackled him onto a tree, hands grabbing his helmet trying to remove it. Never had Wildcard engaged in such fierce close combat and never with a woman. He was surprised she was still in near perfect condition after what he tried to twist her arm. Eva tore off his red visored helmet and slugged a punch to his face. A blow that made him see black stars. He took out his knife and slashed her from top to bottom. She didn't care that her clothes were ripped, she flinched and took out her PM63. Wildcard swiftly moved and headbutted her on the nose. Blood exploded in a fountain as she was sent sprawling back. The submachine gun lay on the tree and Marcus picked it up, arming it as she approached her. "I suppose this ends here?" Eva asked, through blurry vision and blood. "I should just execute you right here for what you did for this asylum." Wildcard spat back, his black eyes sparking fear through hers. Without warning, Esquival ignited a flashbang that sent Wildcard on the ground. He kneeled, trying to get his senses and gripped the PM63 even tighter, sweat made it slippery, but even a machine couldn't pry it from his grasp. He blinked rapidly, wishing that his helmet could have reduced its effects. Raising the gun, he aimed. She was gone. "Crazy bitch." He muttered before tossing the PM63 over the edge. Either it was a crappy gun or it looked bad, whatever the reason, he was glad to have it gone. Sergeant Jerald must have been wondering where he was. With nothing else to do, Wildcard scooped up his fallen helmet, sheathed his knife and returned to the SEAL squad. Esquival slipped into her quarters at a full sprint, she ran past the guards where she immediately cleaned up her scars, including the one Wildcard made from the collarbone all the way down to her lower stomach. She looked into a mirror with hate filled eyes. "Marcus Wildcard. I will be the last thing you will ever see." Chapter 6 Jerald snapped to attention when he saw Wildcard limping back. At first he was taken by surprise, but then his privates rushed to steady the wounded man. "What the hell happened?" Jerald asked, still in shock that Wildcard was beat up. "Some bitch jumped me from the tree." Marcus replied as he was sat up by one of the SEALs. They took a stimulant and injected it into his shoulder. He didn't even wince from the pain. "The mission?" Jerald asked, "We were attacked by the natives. Pretty damn accurate with those guns, we lost Letterman and Gonzales is pretty wounded." "Then, pull back to Rally Point Bravo where you can find appropriate evac." "What about you sir?" Jerald asked. "I'm gonna have a little look around." Wildcard replied with a grin behind his visor. After he saw the assault boat fade out of sight, he turned back to the island city and crept under the shadows. He was double aware this time, Esquival was likely watching him and he didn't want to get spooked again. The sentries were obviously bored and unintrested. Wildcard had no trouble entering the main compound by darting to cover, in plain sight. He made sure to stay out of lights to avoid detection. The guards were talking in a hispanic language and he snuck within five feet behind them. The door nearby was open and he entered with only a whisper that was inaudible. Sweat began to course through the thin lining and the armor shifted to adjust itself. Lancer had made that issue of sweating and fatigue compensated by adding a new layer that moved the armor to make the user cooler and more comfortable. It was so undetectable that the suit could have gotten off his skin without him knowing. Esquival's quarters were on the top floor and moving up the stairs was among the quietest thing. If the guards ever caught him, all he had was a suppressed M9. Although he would rather take a gun that had a loud bang like his Desert Eagle, he needed the option of stealth. Esquival's room was opened and he prayed nobody was home. If he was caught, she'd practically tie him to the wall and beat the LANCER's manhood until he turned into a woman. Fortunately for him, she wasn't there so he activated his night HUD and peered around, getting rather a surprise. Things were just everywhere, weapons, ammo, clothes, bits of half eaten food and several data chips. But what caught his eye were a series of papers in the trash bin, a small blue folder enclosed them. He retrieved the papers skimming through the first one. It was a letter to her. His eyes widened at the conclusion. The person who signed it had their name ripped out. Searching the bin, he found no scraps. He was about to retrieve a set of pictures when footsteps sounded in the hallway. Thinking fast, Wildcard went underneath the bed. "Ma'am are you here?" The guard asked in Spanish. When no answer responded, he stepped into the room using the flashlight on his Skorpion to search the room. After finding nothing, he paused to leave, then swept underneath the bed. Chapter 7 The guard saw nothing underneath. Shrugging, he turned and left, seeing nothing else to do. As soon as the footsteps were gone, Marcus slithered from his hiding spot, behind the drawer. Had the guard looked to the right, he would've been caught. Wildcard stealthily exited the palace. The Reaper's tower, where he resided had its light on. He thought it was worth checking out, so he swung a grapple hook and pulled himself ten feet under the windowsill. Climbing like a ninja in his LANCER suit, he grabbed the easily grasping stones and worked his way up. It would've took an average person ten minutes to scale the wall that high. He got up in less than thirty seconds. The window was dimly lit over stacks of papers, in one corner were several weapons that were considered "revolutionary" PM63s, Uzis, Skorpions and the infamous AK-47s. Yet, he couldn't find evidence that Reaper had killed Eva's husband. In fact, he didn't know what he even looked like. However, the wanted man was here, evidenced by the hissing of the shower to his right. The smell of body fliuds leaked through his mask and he wrinkled his nose at the stench, intensifying from the bed. The more time he spent here, the more Wildcard disliked this new dictator. Time to take him out. First he had to start a distraction. The barracks were not far away and his best bet. He estimated he had 10 minutes to give his elite squads a wake-up call. In one swift motion, he took an Uzi, screwing a silencer on the barrel and several clips of point forty five ACP ammunition. He noticed hollow-point rounds, designed to maximize tissue damage. Recalling Gabrielle showing him a newspaper of disobedient civilians this nation shocked the world. Leaping out the window, Wildcard traveled to the shed where he spotted an M60A3 Patton tank. Built in 1960, the United States fronted the vehicle to the front lines of the Cold War, coming on top versus the Soviet Union's T-55. Its 105mm cannon was less powerful than the present Abrams 120mm but still turned most other tanks to scrap metal. The LANCER easily located the engine in the back, prying open the hatch and getting to work on the engine. Grabbing a pail from a nearby shelf, he drained the tank's battery acid into the pail. Once that was finished, he took one of his Semtex grenades inerting a pencil detonator next to the engine before shutting the hatch. The signal was transferred to his handheld detonator. He crept quietly across the compound slipping underneath the barracks. Ripping off part of a shirt he found nearby, he soaked one end in the battery acid, rubbing a circle about 3 feet in diameter in the center of the barracks. Almost immediately, a crackling sound indicated that the acid had began eating through the planks. Wildcard prayed that no one was waking up for a midnight snack and walking through the center, because the acid had weakened the wood and someone on top would easily fall through. Taking out two concussion grenades, he strapped them with some tape to the acidic patch and set the timer on one for five minutes, he primed the second one for five minutes and 10 seconds. Normally, a concussion grenade wouldn't be sufficent enough to break wood, but thanks to the acid that weakened the floor, the harmless wood would be turned into razor sharp toothpicks blasted upwards to the sleeping barracks of Reaper's elite squadrons. Although it wasn't extremely lethal, it still made one hell of a distraction. Now he had to get back to the tower and wait for one final confrontation. Chapter 8 "Hey Silver Four, come in." Jerald's voice came over his speakers. In the midst of knifing a curious sentry, Wildcard nearly jumped out of his suit when he heard his name called. The unit had blood smeared over it and it slipped, him catching it only a few inches from the ground. "What?" "Randolph just ordered us to pull out and back to the USS Barry for extraction." "Why so sudden?" He asked, a little pissed at the stealthy order. "You're guess is as good as mine. Get back here and make sure you leave a present." He smirked, "Oh I'm about to leave a present all right." His timer indicated thirty seconds left so he stealthily sliced a hole in the fence with his kukri, working quickly and sealed it with super glue. The grenades went off, a whisper in the night before the wood floor turned into thousands of lethal splinters. Grinning with satisfaction, he sprinted back to the Zodiac, not looking back at a figure following him through the woods. Chapter 9 USS Barry There was a presence in his room and he felt it. This wasn't the first time Wildcard felt like he was being watched. During the Russo-American war, he had been compromised on multiple missions. Too many for him to count and for his liking either. Category:FanFiction